Saudi security police Saturday night shot and wounded a terror suspect who resisted arrest and fired at security men who tried to detain him in Riyadh, an interior ministry spokesman told the official Saudi Press Agency SPA Monday.

"Mohammad al-Sahim, wanted on security charges, tried to flee and shot at security forces who managed to arrest him after shooting him in the right leg," the spokesman said. No policemen were hurt in the incident Saturday, SPA said. The spokesman denied reports that the man was a member of the al-Qaeda terror group.

Earlier, opposition sources and a witness said eight policemen were wounded during a shootout with suspected terrorists near Riyadh, one of whom was also hurt and arrested.

Saad al-Faqih, spokesman for the London-based Movement for Islamic Reform (MIR) said the incident took place on Saturday in Al-Shifa, south of the Saudi capital.

Shooting broke out as police attempted to arrest a group of some fifty "young mujahedeen" armed sympathizers of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network who were meeting in a house.

Some of the eight policemen wounded were in serious condition, said Faqih.

Apart from the one injured and detained, police have launched a manhunt for the suspects who fled, said the MIR spokesman, who quoted local residents.

A witness said the clash took place at around 1:00 pm (local time). Almost 15 Saudi veterans of fighting in Afghanistan were at the meeting when police launched the raid, said the witness, who described himself as an "Afghan Arab", according to AFP.

Five of them were on a wanted list, including the one arrested, he said. (Albawaba.com)